Y07042

AS. 1.5A        

Why are schools not digital?

Schools should go digital. We are in the digital age and technology is changing. Laptops and other portable devices are getting smaller, lighter, more compact and they can be used for multiple years levels and classes. They also minimize waste and can be more efficient.

In 2011 we are in the digital age and technology is getting smaller, lighter faster and more user friendly. The old style books (printed) are getting less popular as they are expensive. But digital readers cost approximately $150 and the books are as cheap as $20. This is lot cheaper and in the long run can reduce the cost of studying.

Another advantage of a digital book or laptop is that they could be used in ways which minimize waste. If a school went digital there would be no need for lots of photocoping. Everything in a document could be sent by email or Bluetooth almost instantly and for free. Another advantage is that they could be used in the years to follow instead of binning them at the end of the year like you would with most books.

Many people can type faster than they can write by hand; it may be that they have moterskill problems or that they are just slow. For that reason using a digital device could also be faster. With the availability of operating systems like Windows 7 and programs like OneNote searching is also more efficient. For example if I was to type something into the search bar the computer will automatically search the right places and display results, and in office 2010 hyperlinking is very easy.

One thing that you can not do with books is back them up quickly and for free. On a digital device if you have the right hardware you can make multiple copies of any document almost instantly and for free. Because most documents are small you can fit hundreds into a 1GB pen drive, and with the availability of SD cards, pen drives, external hard drives and networking you can backup file almost anywhere even into cyberspace.

So in conclusion text books are more expensive than digital devices in the long run, they can not be backed up without buying another copy and they can be wasteful. So why should schools not go digital?